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This is a boon for Rep. Bruce Braley, who threw his hat into the ring last week. The Eastern Iowa Democrat is now the clear frontrunner and can start securing endorsements and donations from those in the Hawkeye State who planned to stay on the sidelines as long as it looked like Vilsack might get in.

The news was first reported by the Des Moines Register. A poll conducted for the newspaper early this month showed Vilsack would enter the race as the only one of eight potential candidates who could start with majority support.

Harkin announced last month that he would not seek reelection, putting a seat the Democrat would have likely held into into play. On the Republican side, both Reps. Steve King and Tom Latham are weighing bids.

Vilsack, the former two-term governor and onetime presidential candidate, kept the door open to running with a statement immediately after the announcement and the subsequent polls stoked the buzz.